MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Boston, March 6, 2010

The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, sponsored by ESPN, will feature speakers from NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, EPL and NBA owners, coaches, industry leaders, and the journalists

ESPN named new presenting sponsor; new location at Boston Convention & Exhibition Center to handle conference's rapid growth

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference kicks off its fourth year on March 6, 2010 with a new presenting sponsor and a roster of speakers that will include NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, EPL and NBA owners, coaches, and industry leaders, and the journalists that follow them.

ESPN has agreed to become the presenting sponsor of the MIT Sloan School of Management's most popular conference, says Daryl Morey, an MIT Sloan alumnus and general manager of the Houston Rockets, who co-chairs the conference.

Says John A. Walsh, ESPN executive editor, "Analytics are increasingly playing a bigger role in the sports conversation. They are even stirring up controversy in some quarters. Who knew? This conference has a history of helping us understand the dynamics of analytics. So, yes, ESPN would want to be part of this conversation."

Last year's sold-out conference, which included a keynote panel featuring Boston Celtics All-Star Guard Ray Allen, attracted more than 450 industry leaders and students. To accommodate a projected doubling of participants, the conference will this year be held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.